Laura Conover
Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Sep 27, 2026
This article was originally published by The Tucson Opinion
The upcoming general election will be free, fair and safe. Full stop. In fact, I’d beg you to read that first line again to yourself.
Just like the primary, we expect this election will go smoothly and your vote will be protected. Here’s how; here’s why.
Behind the scenes, local law enforcement, your Recorder, your Elections Director, your County Crisis Manager, your library (poll locations) system, and of course your attorneys (myself and the Pima County Attorney’s Office) have been in training exercises and preparing almost the entire year.
It is extraordinary that in my role I have the honor of being the hub: the attorney for the Recorder and the Elections Department and the partner to the police, and so I know of what I speak. And, should there be any problems, I am ready to nip it right in the bud.
Having co-founded the national Fight Against Federal Overreach, I have had access to the finest legal experts across the nation such that I am ready, in real time, to run to court to stop anyone from interfering with a voter or their vote.
But it’s the fear-mongering that could still get to us.
The threats from the Trump administration to send armed troops (wildly illegal), the attempt to mess with the early mail-in voting system (total failure), and the constant barrage of nonsense coming from their mouths could suppress the vote if we fall victim to their chaos and don’t stay focused.
It is more than OK to feel apprehension: indeed, it is Trump’s goal. Project 2025 made clear that if they could distract us and cause us alarm, they could push their agenda through. Thus, our job is to stay informed, but also to keep things in perspective. Context is key.
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Let me give you a local example. Tucson has had several very saddening and alarming homicides recently. Each one is to be investigated, learned from, and through my office, the perpetrators are to be held to account to the best of what the law, facts and evidence allow. We run five to seven felony jury trials every week doing just that, and at community request, we have begun putting out Justice Alerts that show the productivity.
But if you are doom-scrolling, as the kids say, going on social media and following some local media outlets that feast upon Crime of the Day reporting, you would think violent crime had exploded. This is why perspective and context are so critical.
Every major marker of violent crime is down across Pima County and across the nation. Our homicide rate here has been down 50-60% since the COVID spike, and the homicide rate is lower than 2018 and 2019 before our administration at PCAO arrived and began implementing our reforms.
Take a look for yourself as we close the third quarter of 2026. Year to date, you’ll see that while we can and must continue prevention efforts, we are also seeing tremendous success.
Whether it’s the upcoming election or crime, when some throw stats at you or make threats or tell you the sky is falling, it can be helpful to ask yourself this:
- Is this the kind of Trumpian fear-mongering that has become all too common these days?
- Is this person politically motivated to make me afraid?
- Is this person financially motivated by ads on my phone or computer to get me to keep looking at one disaster story after another?
- If I put this in context or perspective, do I realize I am being fed misinformation?
Trump wants us to stay home, isolated and afraid to exercise our rights or enjoy the benefits of community. Don’t let him and his mouthpieces win. Your vote is your voice, and I mean it from deep in my bones that your right to vote is absolutely equally important to me, whether you fill out your ballot for R candidates or the D ones.
As our Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes, says often, America pulled off an election during the Civil War, and we are not going to fail now. As Fontes’ Southern Arizona representative on this topic, I’ll say he was right during the primary, and he’ll be right again in the coming weeks. We are more than ready. All you have to do is vote and make sure everyone around you does, as well. We’re counting on you, and we have your back.